ALBUM REVIEW: Ancient Malignity - Dehumanization Dawn (2024)

 

Ancient Malignity - Dehumanization Dawn 

USA

Inhuman Assault Productions

 

Ancient Malignity is a trio from Reno, US, playing bestial black/death and “Dehumanization Dawn” is their second full-length and follow-up to their self-titled album from 2020. The group features members from other extreme black/death bands like Ritual Genocide, Triumph, and Blasphemous Creation, which are all respectable in their own right.
 
Musically, Ancient Malignity takes cues from bands like Revenge, Goatpenis, and Abhorer, but with more death metal sensibilities woven into their sound. It’s a winning formula for the band, paired with an organic and crisp production that only accentuates the hellish feel of the music.
 
Tempo-wise, this is mostly a mid-paced listening experience, sounding like a slower Revenge at times, albeit interspersed with some faster parts. Everything can be heard clearly in the mix, and the sharp bass adds an extra layer of venom to the assault. The military-style drumming is on point and offers a variety of inventive fills and tempo changes. You can tell that some thought went into the arrangements, as the whole album feels well-orchestrated.
 
Despite all the instruments being comprehensible, there is a certain rawness to their sound that is all-too-fitting for this style, and honestly, I think an overly polished production would have ruined this release and taken away many of its qualities.
 
This album succeeds in conveying an atmosphere brimming with hatred and blasphemy, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. As mentioned before, the music is mostly a mid-paced affair, but always murderously heavy and aggressive. The morbid vocals are absolutely diabolical and bolstered by an array of searing riffs, energetic drums and repulsive bass riffs.
 
The length of this release is quite satisfying at 36 minutes, which is refreshing as most war metal bands these days release albums at around 25 minutes or so, which is more of an EP length in my opinion. I advise all maniacs into underground and blasphemous, bestial black/death to check this band out as it has everything that you are looking for in the style. For fans of Kulto Maldito, Abhorer, Ritual Genocide. 

EP REVIEW: Eskhaton - Horracle (2022)

Eskhaton - Horracle

 

Australia

 

Hells Headbangers

 

“Horracle” is a mini-album by Australian death metal juggernauts, Eskhaton, which was released in 2022 via Hells Headbangers. It contains five tracks of some of the most punishing shit you’ll ever hear. This is the band’s fifth release, and they have not lowered the intensity or quality. This consistency cements them as one of the best extreme metal acts from down under.

Eskhaton plays death metal, and it is some of the heaviest and most chaotic the genre has to offer. Of course, there is also a hint of black metal with the nightmarish atmosphere that the dissonant guitars evoke. They share a number of similarities with countrymen Impetuous Ritual and Portal in terms of the all-out chaos, though they have enough unique traits in their arsenal to set them apart. Simply put, they sound like a cross between Dead Congregation and Impetuous Ritual. A thick dissonance encompasses the songs along with an abundance of frenzied leads and riffs to compliment the carnage.

"Horracle" consists of only five tracks totaling 29 minutes; however, while this short run time would normally be a deficit, it is actually one of the album’s strengths due to how straight-forward it is – no interludes, just pure mayhem and violence. Additionally, the band displays a level of craftsmanship that is above average and verges on technical, while still retaining a barbaric element. In fact, listening to the riffs on this record, their complexity only serves to accentuate the overall insanity that the music seeks to convey – truly order within chaos. To the average newcomer, this is “noise,” but for those with an appreciation for this style of metal, it shows forth unparalleled genius.

The roaring vocals and surging lava riffs on “Omnicidol” open the record hellishly, making your head spin before “Khaossuary” picks up the aural bazooka, and blasts everything in its path with unyielding ferocity. There is no letting up once this disc starts; this powerhouse of a release will pound you mercilessly with murderous execution. Clocking in at over eight minutes, “Nethereal,” the closing track, is the lengthiest track; it devastatingly drives this release to a violent end.

Horracle’s five tracks feel complete, and I definitely recommend this album to fans of bands like Blasphemy, Portal, Heresiarch, Impetuous Ritual, etc. I strongly urge the reader to check out their other albums, as this is not even their best release. Regardless, this is an excellent album through and through, and one of the highlights from 2022.